Should have known as soon as I complained about the glut of lousy middle infielders on the Mets we’d be doomed to encounter still more.
David Wright’s beaning and subsequent disabled-listing prompted the Mets to recall veteran mediocre minor-league warrior Andy Green — and on the same night reach back into this year’s troubling history to summon Wilson Valdez when it finally became clear, after months of applauding the effort, that Alex Cora‘s look-ma-no-thumbs act had caused way more trouble than it could ever solve.
Imagine if you would that Cora resisted the hero urge and submitted to surgery when he initially injured that thumb. Assuming Jose Reyes is forthcoming and the Mets are honest, it may have prompted them to make a better effort to get a capable shortstop in there than the parade of Valdezes and Argenies and Berroas they spent all season embarrassed about, and maybe the Mets in turn don’t suffer the relentless offensive and defensive consequences of playing more than half a year with a one-handed shortstop. It would have mattered.
OK, then. They dressed Green in No. 29, quickly on its way to becoming the new No. 6. He’s the seventh wearer of that uni since Steve Trachsel left town, and the third this year. Interestingly, it could force Robinson Cancel into a fourth jersey in the event he is recalled (and with Brian Schneider around, being a AAA catcher ain’t so bad). Valdez is back in the No. 4 he’d briefly lost to Angel Berroa.
There will be a quiz at the end, and we’ll all fail.
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Quick note to let you know that Amazin’ Tuesday is on its way back to Two Boots Tavern, this Tuesday, the 25th, and again on Sept. 15. I will be out of town and will miss this month’s event but organizers have more than made up for my presense and will welcome you there. Go!
